While the 31-year-old was on a visit to Grimsby in March, Kate was thought to have revealed her baby's sex. A member of the gathered crowd claimed that as the mum-to-be accepted a teddy bear from a well wisher, she said "Thank you, I'll take that for my d..."

After the alleged slip up, gamblers raced to place their bets on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge having a baby daughter.

Despite footage that later emerged showing that the pregnant duchess did not let slip the gender of her unborn child, the odds on a baby girl stand at 1/3 compared to 5/2 for a son.

During her visit to the Irish Guards Parade on St Patricks Day, Kate told one of the guards at the Aldershot barracks that she was hoping for a baby boy.

The 31-year-old told of her and William's excitement and said that while she is hoping for a son, William is keen to have a daughter.

When the pair visited a homeless shelter in Glasgow last week, the expectant brunette said "We have a shortlist for both (boy and girl), but it's very difficult. My friends keep texting me names!".

Alexandra is not a particularly common name within the royal family but one of the Queen's cousins and the youngest granddaughter of King George V is named Princess Alexandra.

Whatever William and Kate chose, it is likely to set a big baby trend. Already the royal family have proved inspirational when it comes to names, especially for boys.

Both William and Harry are projected to be amongst the most popular baby names for 2013, and Henry - Harry's real moniker - is currently attracting more attention than it has done previously.

Surprisingly, there seems to be less momentum for the girls when it comes to following royal tradition. Despite the royals' year in the spotlight in 2012, the name Catherine has not noticeably increased in popularity, while Elizabeth is expected to stay in the top 100 this year, but will probably remain outside the top 50.